


Paperwork

by Hino



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, just some fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:03:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6692503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hino/pseuds/Hino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The mountains of paperwork on Patryk's desk was doing nothing to fix his lousy day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paperwork

The mountains of paperwork on Patryk's desk was doing nothing to fix his lousy day.

It started with filing important documents, interrupted his lunch with an unplanned enemy raid, and then threw him into more work involving writing cover ups and excuses for six thousand missing enemy soldiers.

All that, and he hadn't even been offered a minute's break to change out of his bloodstained coat.

An irritated growl slipped from his quiet presence, almost deafening in the silence of the room. Fourteen hours of paperwork, with only a twenty minute shootout inbetween did not treat a man well, and his anger flared as the door opened.

“If you're bringing me another stack of documents to forge, I suggest you turn around now and leave,” he forced out in the most polite but annoyed tone he could manage. “It has been a long day, and despite the shootout at lunch, I'm more than willing to murder someone else.”

“Aw come on Patty.”

Patryk looked to the door, face full of exhaustion and despair.  
It was Paul.  
Of all people who could have interrupted him. 

“Turn around and leave,” he growled in response, returning to the papers with a newfound anger. “I don’t want company.”

Paul sighed. “But do you want lunch?”

 

The words made Patryk pause, and he looked up to see Paul holding a tray. On it was a neatly cut sandwich, a pot of tea, a teacup, and some toast. Draped over his arm was a new, clean uniform.  
It looked very tempting.

“I’m busy,” he said, attention returning to the papers on his desk. He could hear Paul getting closer, and it only served to heighten his irritation. If patience was a well, then it was filled with only a few stray drops. The steps stopped just in front of his desk, and it was with great restraint that Patryk managed to look up and not scream at Paul’s smiling face. The tray was set down on the only empty space on the desk, covering up the polished wood. “Paul.”

“What?” he asked, pouring the tea with a strange elegance. “I’m just here to bring you a late lunch.”

Patryk scoffed. “Late lunch? It’s-” he stopped to look at his wristwatch, annoyed expression melting off his face. “It’s nine in the evening. I started at seven, after I’d gotten up and done my daily chores.”

“And you’ve only done this much work?” Paul teased, pushing a small stack of papers aside so he could place the tea cup in Patryk’s easy reach. “I thought you were better than that.”

Normally, Patryk would have yelled or scolded him, but the amount of time that had passed in his work-filled daze was still keeping him in awe, and hunger pains were making themselves known, causing him to bite his lip. Instead, he neatly stacked his finished papers, slipped them inside their designated folders, and set them on the floor. There were still piles on the desk that towered above his sitting form, but they could wait.  
“What’s on the sandwich?” Patryk finally asked.

“Ham and cheese,” was the answer, coupled with a smile. “The kitchen was pretty bare after dinner, and since it’s not movie night, nobody had it restocked for dessert.”

Patryk had tuned out the latter half of the sentence, getting to work on the meager meal he’d been presented. The bread was slightly stale, and the cheese was drier than he’d like, but after the day he’d had, it was heavenly. Paul merely laughed, watching as the other turned to his tea and sipped it. “Paul,” Patryk began, “I apologize for telling you to leave.”

“It’s fine,” he answered. “I didn’t know you had this much work. I don’t think Sir even knows.”

“I thought he would, considering he assigned all of it to me.”

Paul shrugged. “We had to dispose of the bodies earlier, and he seemed surprised at how many we had to burn. We’ll run out of urns at this rate.”

“Did they get sent home alright?” Patryk finished the first half of his sandwich and moved onto the next.

“Our mail division is delivering them as well as a letter,” Paul answered. “According to what’s written, each soldier was a part of a secret squad, tasked with raiding an important base just inside the Russian border. They were shot down, but their deaths were not in vain.”

Patryk set down his sandwich and sipped at his tea again. “I wish it were true.”

“As do I. What do you even have to sign on these?” Paul grabbed a paper from the stack, skimming over it. “Just your name?” He looked to Patryk, only to catch him with the remaining half of the sandwich wedged in his mouth, along with a mouthful of tea. It was undignifying, and the look Patryk shot him warned that silence would be needed on a whole. “I’m gonna assume so.”

Awkwardly swallowing, Patryk grabbed a paper. “My name here. My signature here. Red Leader’s signature. Base Code.” He pointed to separate points each time, and Paul nodded in understanding. “I need these done by midnight. That’s when Tord should be dropping by to get them.”

Nodding, Paul got to his feet. “I’ll get us some more tea then,” he said, gathering up the dishes.

“You’re my favourite co-worker,” Patryk answered with a grin, grabbing another paper and getting to work.

 

It was at their third pot of tea that Patryk had to stop. His hand cramped, and his vision was swimming. Even sitting up was giving him a throbbing headache.  
“I’m done,” he breathed, looking over to the remaining papers. “But there’s so much left to do,” he added with a whine. “Oh, Boss is going to shoot me!”

“He’s not going to shoot you,” Paul assured with a smile and shake of his head. “I promise Patty, he’s going to be happy with all this.”

Patryk shot the other a glare. “Sure, Pauline,” he answered, sinking down in his chair. Paul rolled his eyes, continuing on with the papers. He’d had the pleasure of two hours of non-stop paperwork. To deal with what was now sixteen hours of signing papers like a robot, well, Paul thought that Patryk was a god.  
“We’re almost finished now,” Paul announced, slipping the signed paper into a manila folder and setting it on the pile. It wobbled uneasily, but still managed to stay upright. “Just a few more.”

The other visibly recoiled at the statement. “Just a few more...” he breathed. Shakily, he pulled down another paper, sloppily signing on the appropriate lines. “Just a few...”

“I’ll do it.” Paul took the pen from his hand and pushed the half finished cup of tea towards the tired man. “Just sit there and look pretty.”

Patryk laughed. “Only for you,” he said, leaning on the desk and giving the best wink he could in his state. It made Paul laugh, and he grabbed some more papers, signing away. “Thanks Paul.”

He smiled softly, reaching over to ruffle Patryk’s hair. “It’s fine.”

 

The creak of the door pierced the silence, announcing the Red Leader’s arrival.  
“I’m sorry for being late. I had to attend to some injured soldiers, and deal with a security breach-” Tord stopped, seeing Paul with a finger over his lips. His gaze drifted over to Patryk, slumped over the desk. “Really?”

“He’s been working for almost seventeen hours now,” Paul said as he got up. “He only just went to sleep.”

Tord paused, mulling the sentence over. Slowly, as if unsure of his actions, he moved over to the bed in the corner of the office and grabbed a pillow, along with one of the blankets that had been thrown on the top for decoration. Paul smiled, taking the items from his boss and approaching Patryk’s sleeping form. With only the slightest whispers and movements, Paul managed to get the pillow under his head, and blanket over his form.

“We finished all the paperwork,” he softly commented, stepping away from Patryk.

“Really?” Tord asked with surprise. “Wow.”  
His gaze trailed to the neatly labelled folders, filled with signed papers and appropriate notes. It was impressive just how much his men had done. “Well then, I guess tomorrow will treat you easier.”

Paul gave a nod, sitting on the desk beside Patryk’s sleeping form. “Since this is Patty’s office, I think I’ll stay here tonight. I mean, if that’s alright, of course. I know you like to keep track of us all.”

“Just for tonight,” he answered, already heading towards the door. “As long as you show up tomorrow for drills, I don’t care.” The door shut after him, and Paul smiled, looking down at Patryk’s sleeping form.

 

“Well, he didn’t shoot you,” he laughed.


End file.
